Apple isn't shrinking from criticisms that its supplier and manufacturing partners are being less than environmentally-sensitive in their operations across Asia. As a result, Apple is actively conducting "environmental audits" by engaging with its partners to assess what can be done to mitigate the impact of environmental issues that recently surfaced.

Officials and executives from the Cupertino, California offices of Apple were on hand in China to meet recently with five environmental groups who have blasted Apple and its partners for alleged environmental infractions stemming from the manufacturing and production of the iDevice line.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple notified the organizations that the company has "launched audits of 15 suppliers the groups had previously accused of polluting."

"This is a major step forward," said Ma Jun, one of China's leading green activists and director of the Beijing-based Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs. "They asked these companies to take corrective plans and give a timeline, and Apple will verify whether all these issues have been resolved."

Apple, characteristically, would not offer formal comment on the meeting or its audit findings thus far. But Carolyn Wu, an Apple spokeswoman, released the following statement in response to the WSJ inquiry: "Apple is committed to driving the highest standards of social responsibility throughout our supply chain. We require that our suppliers provide safe working conditions, treat workers with dignity and respect, and use environmentally responsible manufacturing processes wherever Apple products are made."